She Blazed a Trail {And We Should Too}

She was educated at an academy – the best a girl could hope for. She didn’t work – what woman did? And she fell in love with Henry, a fighter for freedom. On their honeymoon, she and Henry travelled to an antislavery convention in London. And she made a new friend, Lucretia.

Her life changed because of Henry and Lucretia. She no longer thought afternoon tea was the highlight of the day. The oppressed needed a voice. She gave birth seven times, but grew restless with being at home. She wanted to be a voice for those who had no voice in a time when that was anything but popular or cool.

So, she and Lucretia joined forces and organized a convention for women – a place for them to gather and discuss rights and oppression. And while Lucretia – and her new friend, Susan – had many issues on their mind, one issue was particularly dear to her heart: voting.

She thought women should be allowed to vote.

Meanwhile, the war raged as North fought South; a war often dividing reformers.

But, she and her friends refused to give up, holding meeting after meeting. Writing resolution after resolution – amendment after amendment. Forming group after group. Persevering in the face of opposition and criticism from every side.

I don’t agree with everything Elizabeth did. She disliked organized religion as she struggled to reconcile equality with the church’s mandates and oppression.

But, still. Today, I can vote.

Because women like Elizabeth Cady Stanton came before me.

And someday, I pray women and girls say….I can __________ because of the amazing women who came before me back in 2016. The women who loved Jesus in a way that we had never known or seen. The women who opened arms to us when everyone else looked at us with disdain.

I pray that’s who we are, friends. Woman who fight for other women. For girls. For the oppressed and marginalized and lonely. Women who champion, applaud, and cheerlead other women.

What we do matters. Our voting. Our mothering. Our teaching. Our loving. Our serving. Our sharing. All of it. May we live everyday knowing this day matters.

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On Election Day in 1920, millions of American women exercised their right to vote for the first time. It took activists and reformers nearly 100 years to win that right, and the campaign was not easy…But on August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was finally ratified, enfranchising all American women and declaring for the first time that they, like men, deserve all the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. (history.com)

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My name is Sarah Farish; I am a Jesus follower, single mom, teacher, reader, writer, friend, and servant. I love my family, Jesus, people, the color pink, and watches.
Making Much of Him 365 is about my resolution to intentionally make much of God each day of the year. I hope you'll both enjoy and learn from my journey as I try to seek Him daily.